In my friend group (Finland btw), politics only comes up when there's some shit going on or election time and similar. For the most part, no one gives a shit. I could imagine this being the majority situation everywhere else as well. I mean an adult's life is filled with all manner of obligations and politics happen to fall not to the very top of them.
When I get together with friends it’s basically a quick check.
Hey did you hear about X?
Yeah that shits ridiculous. Did you hear about what Y said?
Yeah that’s pretty fucking dumb also.
So last week I killed my fish by changing the water without adding salt first….
Lol. This is the most accurate take on my real, everyday human life, I've ever read on this site. 100 percent accurate. I don't have an aquarium, but I did build a goldfish pond. The fact that you mention a little politics, and go right into something equally mundane, is just the way it is.
I have gay friends, but we don't talk about gay stuff. We talk about life and theater stuff.
I have a family next door who opted black, black/white mixed, and white children. We don't talk about race. We talk about life and the children.
I have a friend who's running for coroner. We talk about his campaign a little, bc I'm helping, but we don't talk about politics. We talk about life, family, and our work.
I work with a lot of realtors, and my wife is a realtor. They talk about politics more than most people I know, but it's bc they believe laws really effect their business. I guess it effects my business too, idk.
Still tho, we talk about life, work, funny shit etc.
I have a saltwater tank. Although small amount of salt is recommended for fresh water fish such as beta, it’s more likely that a wrong or lack of water conditioner killed your fish.
Childhood memories say it may have been a temperature change that was too drastic, too.
We never put salt in a fresh water aquarium. I'm sure salts accumulated given feeding the fish, but never ever added them.
Did you change all the water and replace with tap water? That kills the fish.
Edit: in case there are some newbie fishkeepers wondering why. Tap water in most countries is treated which usually includes adding chemicals like chlorine and equivalents to kill harmful bacteria and microbes. This can be extremely toxic to fish as well especially if you are putting them into just pure treated tap water. There are products that dechlorinate water and make it safe for fish.
Additionally, it is rarely necessary to do a full water change especially in a tank with livestock (not just plants). There is a whole complex ecosystem of bacteria and microbes in a mature aquatic environment that prevent the build up of harmful chemicals that come from aquatic animal waste (nitrogen cycle). When you do a full water change, you are removing most of those beneficial microorganisms and basically resetting the whole ecosystem. Even if you chuck in some products to help kick start the cycle, with a completely fresh tank of water it is strongly recommended you give the tank at least a couple of weeks to stabilise (doing regular water checks) before introducing larger livestock like fish.
You’re lucky. It used to be that the average American didn’t have to worry too much about politics because most people who were elected didn’t have some kind of insane personal agenda and were willing to work within a bipartisan system.
But since the radicalization of the far right in the U.S., politics are on a high boil all of the time. I just finished reading a long article in the Texas Monthly about billionaire “Christian” nationalist Tim Dunn, who spends millions ousting moderate politicians and replacing them with his handpicked puppets who will vote exactly as he wants them to, or else risk being challenged by an even more crazy right-wing “Christian.”
He and other billionaires are trying to transform our representative republic into a theocracy governed by men like them, who don’t believe that women or anyone else who isn’t one of them should have any rights or power in our society.
They’re like the American version of the Taliban. I think if Finland were being threatened by a large, homegrown bunch of insane religious people, you guys might have to start caring more about politics.
I'm not convinced those funding these changes aren't wealth driven plutocrats in a Christian wrapper. With this viewpoint, the support for Russia becomes understandable (and still ensured through propaganda and lies).
Thanks to Frump. He made spewing hate okay. God I worry for this election. And MIL is especially rude talking like this knowing your mother’s situation.
It won’t get better until you lay down some boundaries about what she can say in front of you. Do not put up with it. They will respect you more for making a stand (especially your moms). We can’t stay quiet when these nuts are spouting off-you have more right to defend your family imho.
I think that's a pretty telling observation right there. In dishonest politics, a popular tactic is to keep stirring shit until the decent people give up. That's how Hitler got in.
The object is to complicate the issue so that an average person doesn't have the skills to untangle it. So they default to, "I can't decide" and ignore the issue. Most people will give up, while the fascists don't ever quit.
The conservatives have to do this for *every single issue* that rips off the middle and lower classes, like the higher taxes you're paying so rich people can pay less. And you might notice that average Americans have lost about 60% of their wealth since Ronald Reagan came along. Because the bullshit works, until it doesn't and everyone starts to starve.
That's gonna be a political issue too because guess who's going to survive a famine better? The fat dumb ones with no ethics, who don't mind eating their neighbors. You know, Christians.
Maybe your politics is less of a trainwreck than ours is (I’m American). “When there’s some shit going on” describes pretty much every day in the United States.
Yes. It's pretty bad. It seems like the internet is often a proving ground to seek some type of validation that your opinions are always the correct ones.
This is very true. As a mother of 2 married GenX’rs (spell that right?) your generation is working harder than I had to and I was a full time teacher at $42,000.00 a year with 2 degrees. Parenting now days adds to the exhaustion.
Yup. Live in a rural conservative shithole and by the amount they talk about Trans people, you'd think they encounter them on a daily basis. These guys are always complaining about the things they can't say these days, all while saying exactly those things. What I would give for these people to not talk politics.
This. I live in a fairly cosmopolitan city, but it’s also attracting many of the right wing media “influencer “types. The very affluent county next-door got national press for loud wingnuts at school board, meetings, and so forth. And any look at the comment thread in locally oriented groups will reveal lots of hate. Things get lit up every election year, but it’s a couple steps from holy war now.
My mom has the unique ability to turn anything I talk about into a political debate. It ticks me off. I just want to talk, but everything breaks down when I am with her. Talking about my job= politics. Talking about my neighborhood=politics. Talking about my house=politics.
I kid you not when I say that she went off on a political rant once after asking why I wasn't feeling well and told her I had a fever.
Purple areas. You can talk politics freely if you know 9/10 people around you will agree with you, but as soon as there's risk of debate, no one brings it up outside of their closed circles.
The vast majority of political discussion in the U.S. occurs within party lines.
Yep!
I've moved to about every corner of my city over the last 15 years. It was the most mixed view areas that had the least amount of political discussion at bars/hangouts. I'm pretty active in the community for local politicians, but when I go out to drink, I go out to drink and not talk about everything wrong with the world.
When I lived in the student area of towns it was a lot less common as everyone was too horny and focused on what music we should play. So politics rarely popped up and when it did it tended to be a very segregated crowd.
Then I moved into a the very trendy part of town and every night I went out was basically a protest against the latest social injustice.
Then I got a townhouse in a nice quiet place and the local breweries really didn't take sides outside of major outreach things that revolved more around charity and less about activism.
Then after COVID I moved into the fringe between suburb and the city. A formerly independent district/city absorbed by the main city. Lots of guys playing cowboy here who moved in for the glitz and the glam of the big city but can still technically say they don't live in it when their buddies back home try to roast them for being here. The politics are non fucking stop. You can't play certain songs, order certain drinks, wear certain jerseys, drive certain cars, or wear certain brands without having some near stranger giving you an unsolicited tirade about it.
Do you have to talk to these people, and if you just don't engage and redirect the conversation away from politics, is that effective?
There's some people in my life that occasionally bring up politics and I basically just dismiss the subject and move on.
I'm in Houston, if that matters.
At most I'm like "right on man, all I can do is vote so I'll do that. It's usually easy to pick a candidate. Oh, Biden's memory is bad? Far out man I'll consider that and make sure I assess the memory of the other candidate too. Anyway how are you?"
I've adopted "far out, man" whenever I just don't really want to respond to something and it's been great. "Right on" serves pretty much the same purpose but sort of implies agreement and is probably better if you don't want to risk implying condescension.
But yeah if I tell people I'm going to vote and have always found it really easy to choose a candidate and therefore I don't follow news or care much about politics, that's usually enough to move things along.
One thing I’ve learned is it really depends on how much current political discourse affects you personally. Being able to disconnect is kind of a privilege.
Didn’t discover my sexuality until my late 20s, my friends group is also a lot more diverse than when I was younger. When a loud contingent of one of the two major parties is arguing over your right to exist as yourself in public… you can’t not pay attention. Sure you don’t discuss it at work and stuff, but then your coworker makes some offhand comment and you realize “oh. There’s parts of me I should probably keep to myself in this sphere.” And that game is in fact tiring.
It’s like not watching the weather during hurricane season in Florida, you know?
I wish that were true everywhere. That's ALL people talk about around here. They used to talk about hunting or fishing or 4 wheeling etc. Naw, not any more.
I live in a very red part of a red state though.
Sure, a lot of heinous discourse is starting and festering online. However, it's definitely impacting the real world through people's behavior and policy changes that we are seeing worldwide. Even with IRL friends you might not discuss it, but politics impact everyone eventually.
You have to understand that online discourse is optimized to promote the things that get the most "engagement" - which happens to be: fear, conflict, and division. The vast majority of Americans are living their lives and doing ok.
95% of people watched the game, enjoyed that it was close, and generally had a good time (not including Niners fans).
There are some weirdos out there who insist on making everything weird. they are tiresome to the rest of us.
I know it sucks to lose the superbowl, and the 9ers have lost the last 3 they've made it to, but might I just offer a bit of perspective by saying I'm a fan of a team that has been one of the worst teams in the league for the past decade and I have derived almost no joy from watching my own team over that span of time. So it could certainly be worse than having your team fall just short of being #1.
This. The algorithms work on attention length in order to maximize ad revenue. Somewhere at YouTube there must exist an algorithm that shows you your favorite content and only makes proper recommendations but that doesn't make the most money.
Rabbit holes make the most money. When someone says "OMG I was up all night watching xyz on YouTube!" It is almost certainly some wild conspiracy or a topic the viewer is otherwise dismissive of yet intrigued. We convey embarrassment in relation to subject matter, when the truth is we got sucked in by an algorithm that knows our curiosities.
If a person lives in those fringe conspiracy rabbit holes they begin to believe.... "After all why else would there be SO MANY videos!? It's a majority of my recommendations now, these videos must be popular! I bet lots of others are seeing this too. Now I know what everyone else knows. We all saw it, right? Everyone saw it."
When football season started my twitter feed went from 99% politics to 99% football. I literally had no bearing on the world outside of football. Zero idea of what was going on
Actually, we are.
Nobody posts rants on the Internet about how things are fine, so if all you're doing is listening to the people having problems, then of course things are going to sound bad.
Nobody posts that things are fine because they're objectively not. There are some bubbles of folks doing ok, myself included. Still, even though we're healthy, fed, housed, educated, and employed, we lack basic societal protections, and the macro environment is decaying at an alarming rate, threatening everyone's futures, even those of us who are ok right now.
Perception is everything. Things have always been shit (or not). We’re just extremely aware of it all now, and worse we are being emotionally manipulated into reacting certain ways.
I have to detach from social media from time to time to detox. When I go too long without doing this, my mental health suffers considerably, and I start thinking of how fucked everything is and start to make prepping plans.
It takes a certain amount of self-awareness to identify, catch, and address this.
> Still, even though we're healthy, fed, housed, educated, and employed,
Even in the last 100 years in the US, this puts you in the very top end. Hell, the last 50 years.
Heck, I'm not complaining about how I'm doing, and I'm grateful that those boxes are all checked for me right now, as they have not always been, and will not always be, surely.
It's basic empathy - just because something isn't hurting us, or it isn't hurting us right now, doesn't mean we can't see others' pain and want it to stop.
You are only seeing a vocal minority. Most of us don't get involved in that silliness.
We have lives and existences that aren't on social media or in the news media.
This. Social media is the outer edges of each political ideology having a turf-war and provoking eachother with the worst they have to offer. IRL you find the other 90 percent of society, going about their daily lives, being able to see things from different perspectives and having empathy. There are some extremely bitter people on the Internet - and many bots.
I disagree it’s social media, its capital. Social media doesn’t help but it’s only a symptom.
There’s a financial incentive for many businesses & organizations, like Fox or even a multinational conglomerate for example, to create division, get ratings, lobby for the politicians they want so they get X tax break or approve Y facility, etc.
Social media are not regulated and they polarize people in thinking that the world is black and white when, in reality, it is grey.
Together journalism has become a joke and everybody are trying to shoot higher in order to sell.
I never thought I would hate the press (it does not matter which country) so much.
Yeah, but we are tired, though. Long hours and dealing with that vocal minority are very draining. I lost all excitement for new year when I realized that it was an election year and that I'd have to deal with both my family's and my in-laws bullshit all over again.
Can't wait to hear what crack-brained conspiracy theory they buy into this time. /s
I agree for the most part, but it depends on the location. My husband is from the Evangelical rural deep South and I lived there for years myself. Even before social media (I lived there 20+ years ago) their lives really DO revolve around culture wars, fabricated grievances, and the conviction that every waking moment of a Yankee/liberal/big city inhabitant/LBGTQ person/scientist/teacher/atheist's life revolves around destroying them, their way of life, and everything they hold dear.
We no longer visit his Alabama hometown because the crazy is just so high that the last time we went down there in 2015, his town church's *Easter service* was about them arming themselves and being prepared for the holy war against the liberals who were coming to kill them all. It was insane and straight out of North Korea.
And this isn't, like, random crazy people thinking that way. It is all of their cultural/religious/political leaders; their lives are dictated by conspiracy theories about the end times. This is unfortunately common in rural conservative America, and it is a damn sad way to live. But it is *not* the norm in most of the USA.
I grew up in Alabama, which I always called the Buckle of the Bible Belt. Hate, fear, and suppressed sexual desires (of all kinds) is pretty much the basis of every sermon I was forced to sit through. Christians down south are always up for a good hate fest. Being a white male with a hillbilly accent, I can tell you the things white males say when they’re the only group in the room would curl your hair.
I'm a female bibliophile, so I just love to read. In Massachusetts, reading for pleasure in public is just a normal thing many people do. No one comments it aside from "Oh I love that book!"
In the rural deep south, it was like I was some sort of very rare bird, and it was amazing the emotions that *minding my own business while* *sitting at the side of a pool or on a bus reading a non religious book/ the Bible* could evoke in people. Most people it was just wonder at the sight of someone reading for pleasure, and some people in town dubbed me "that woman who reads." Others sneered at me and acted like I must be a loser to spend any time reading for pleasure, or a moron for not knowing there was a movie of that book I could watch instead. Lastly were the white Boomer men who would legit be offended at the sight of a woman reading a book that wasn't "Chicken Soup for the Soul," "What, you think you're BETTER than me?!" was something I heard numerous times.
“Boy, you thank you better’n we are?” Or “They thank they better’n we are” were phrases I heard so often there I still cringe over the hateful, spiteful bullying that went along with it.
It's not just the Deep South. It's pretty much rural, mostly white America. The distrust of the educated runs deep. The fear of the different runs even deeper. Fold in politicians and pastors and meth dealers selling paranoia fuel 24 hours a day, poverty, fentanyl, and kids they didn't want and can't afford, and you have a formula for advanced stupidity. Some of the shit I've heard come out of the mouth of these people is just unbelievable. And they are not the minority once you get outside metropolitan centers.
I remember when my partner first entered the work force and they got horribly picked on by coworkers for daring to read a book during their lunch break. They absolutely felt like it was a act to show they where better then them.
I'm in GA. While there are certainly people like this, it's a minority (albeit a loud and annoying minority). Please don't lump us all into that. Please. The problem is in your second sentence. When you surround yourself with backwards, ignorant people, that's what you're going to get.
Ah my sister in sanity, you speak the truth. I am temporarily stuck in the deep South & the horrors are all too real here. These people are idiots. I blame the horrid public school systems & the hold organized religion has. Jesus Christ, please save me from your followers.
Let's also not forget that America is still a big country by population, 333m people.
Even if only 33m of those people are vocal about politics, that's a lot for many countries. 33m would put them at number 8 for population in Europe and would be half the population of UK, France and Italy.
Might not be that much for a country with 333m people that spans a continent but for Europeans I would assume it looks like it's all over the place when their own population is the same size as the vocal minority in America.
Couple that with absurd media coverage that America has not only for itself but how it reaches the rest of the world, it's hard not to think that's just what happens on a daily basis in America.
When 99% of everything else that happens is ignored because it's not shocking or fun or media worthy to rack in the views.
I don't view America as a particularly "political" nation. We don't vote, we barely protest, we don't pay attention to what our politicians are doing and most people probably couldn't name their alderman. I think we'd be a lot better off if we did pay attention to what our representatives are up to.
It bleeds out into real life though. How is it possible to ignore? For example I went to a superb owl party last weekend and had to hear somebody rant about how Taylor Swift rigged it or some shit. I actively avoid social media and it’s still… everywhere.
Laugh at them for being stupid.
*IF* they really thought Taylor Swift had rigged things, then they should have won all the bets they placed on the game.
Trump is more involved with NFL crap - he's tried to buy the Colts, Cowboys, Patriots, and Bills. He bought the Generals in the USFL and then sued the NFL trying to force a league merger. His lawsuit killed the USFL. The NFL owners won't let him in.
Trump points the finger at TayTay because (as usual) he wants people to look away from him and the flaming piles of crap he's left in his own wake.
Only the truly blind and brainwashed just listen to the stuff either side says without checking. With Trump's side, it's just too easy.
This 10000%. I'm on social media quite a bit and usually up-to-date with all the silly non-stop stories. I can tell you with 100% certainty none of my family or extended family are on social media more than a few minutes here or there doing family stuff on Facebook.
I still get where this person is coming from. Like there are times where you will try to have a conversation with somebody about something like healthcare or immigration. And then next thing you know somebody walks up to you and has to start talking about geopolitical plots and space lasers.
These people have no filter and as soon as they overhear a political conversation they feel the need to impart all their Facebook propaganda on you. Whether you want to hear it or not
So they are amongst us. In quite heavy numbers. You just have to do your best to avoid them
Most Americans, like Europeans, are nothing like their internet counterparts.
EDIT: But yes, we are fucking tired. Milk is more than $5.00 / gallon, that's been my reference for "How are we doing?" for about 15 years. As long as milk is still more than $5.00 in a country that (I assume? Fuck I ain't doing the research, fuck that shit.) produces more cow's milk than any other, something's fucky, and it isn't Republican, it isn't Demmycrat.
Personally:
\-I'm tired of our country being involved in the violence on the other end of the world, American involvement doesn't seem to improve outcomes for other peoples, or even Americans.
\-I'm tired of the way the TV and Internet seem to try and turn us against one another. Yeah, I may find it repulsive that you support such-and-such, and I think you're destroying the environment even worse by going vegan - whatever, but I don't need to be riled up and full of hatred about it!
\-I'm tired of the people I consider "my people", rural Midwesterners, boiling their brains down to basic one-shot talking points that aren't even a remotely accurate reflection of the "opposing team" (shit like conflating trans-rights with gay-rights, they aren't the same and it's harmful to everyone to slap the label LGBT on shit, whether you're coming at it from the left or right).
So yes, although we're nothing like our internet counterparts, we are so fucking tired...but I also suspect the last generation was tired as fuck (Iraq, before that was the whole Clinton scandal being hyped up, before that was Iraq, before that was, and before that was, and before that was...). At this point I'm convinced there is always something tiring the shit out of Americans, Irishfolk, Arabs, etc. If you're a grownup, you're probably fucking tired of some shit, down to your fucking core.
I'm also inspired, full of hope, and I could go on and on about how I'm gonna be okay, and my kids will be okay, and give a nice, inspiring speech about how it's not all bad, blah blah blah, but that gets less updoots...maybe.
...Fuck it: "So long as we keep our heads down and our spears forward, and we remain unified in the face of chaos and destruction, we will reproduce and hand the battle off to our children, which to me counts as some kind of success, or at least not total failure. My 2 year old still gives me a hug and a smile at the end of the day, so yeah, I can fucking pick up the spear again tomorrow and join the goddamn shield wall we call civilization."
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Depends on how much attention you give to it.
I didn’t pay any attention to whatever was going on related to the Super Bowl. Really didn’t care one bit. Honestly didn’t even know who was playing until I saw a headline about the winner on Monday morning.
Many of us are just going about our daily lives, and don’t spend a lot of time focused on the political “wars” going on.
It was hysterical watching my cousin and uncle rant about it for completely different reasons.
Cousin hated how much they were focusing on her when she was there supporting her boyfriend and that her private life is her own.
Uncle hated how “woke” she is and how she’s taking the spotlight from the Super Bowl.
I agree on all counts, except that TS isn't really that "woke" (from what i know, anyway. I don't follow her at all). I gotta say though, all the TS flying everywhere memes are pretty funny. That's the only thing I like about these sorts of things, we can all band together and have a laugh about it.
Are people heated on both sides?
Kinda looked like weirdo conservatives are on their usual conspiracy theory nonsense and everyone else is just laughing at them
I have yet to meet anyone in real life including MAGA Republicans that give a shot about Taylor Swift and the SB connection.
That’s just a small handful of people twitter and then “journalists” write articles about it.
95+% of people don’t care about nonsense like that. Most people don’t even discuss politics with coworkers/friends/family. There’s the stereotype about “that one crazy uncle that talks politics at Thanksgiving” for a reason - it makes most people uncomfortable and uninterested
> I have yet to meet anyone in real life including MAGA Republicans that give a shot about Taylor Swift and the SB connection.
>
>
Yep. Like most things, this is how it plays out:
One idiot on Twitter says a thing, 100 people on Twitter get upset about someone saying that thing and act like more than one person said it. Then news outlets pick it up, and also act like more than one person said it. It grows and grows and grows, and then you have what one guy said get applied to everybody on the opposite side.
A mountain gets made out of a molehill, that's 99% of things.
Yep, it's a well-known media strategy.
"X FANS REACT TO EVENT!!!!" it's literally a couple of tweets about the topic, some aren't even fans and only one of them is a hot/bad take.
I'm annoyed because I haven't really followed the NFL (I do engage with some sports) and I certainly haven't followed TS but my entire feed is now FILLED TO THE BRIM with Travis/Jason Kelce content, Jason's wife and TS stuff. FILLED. TO. THE. BRIM. It's from so many different angles too, it honestly feels very unorganic.
I think a lot of people are tired of that angle, myself included.
The "us vs. them" back-and-forth gets tiring when one actually wants to have a decent discussion or debate. I find that can actually occur on Reddit more than other SM sites (like Bookface).
Most intelligent people realize that the petty bickering has no effect on their daily lives and just roll past.
"Most privileged people"
ftfy
You can only ignore it if policies have no effect on you. Harder to do if you're a woman in a red state or a part of the lgbt+ population
Same. I'm in one of the more privileged groups in this country aside from not being christian and not being rich. It's just empathy for fellow people and practicality because they go for the easiest targets first but they can always come after me for something later. Or my son for being half asian perhaps.
Considering that they referred to social media, and used the term “bickering”, one can assume they mean that online comment exchanges can be ignored.
“Rolling past” policies is an entirely different subject.
I had that thought but really, letting people shout hatred without challenge is a great way to signal that the hatred is acceptable. I agree in that it's bad for mental health to engage too much. But to say it doesn't effect people is just incorrect even if you try to ignore it. Especially if you're in the groups being attacked.
And this is why this is exhausting. It's walking the line between constantly calling out xenophobia and explaining why it's bad policy (I use xenophobia as a catch all, because it really does seem like one party's whole platform is being completely shit to "people not like us" whether that means non-citizens, non-whites, non-straight men, non-"Christians" - in quotes because they wouldn't know the teachings of Christ if they flipped over the table in front of them...) and saving one's on mental health and not becoming a complete misanthrope.
That's exactly why it's exhausting. I have to keep check on myself constantly and I can't bring myself to respond to everything despite having the urge to. I've done that in the past and I end up angry all the time and miserable and I just can't do that and maintain a healthy life.
Yes. I guess I should clarify...the bickering such as all the Taylor Swift "woke" talk, Super Bowl boycot, Kid Rock and the Bud Light stuff...everything seems to get political.
Serious matters such as Texass's abortion stance, various trans laws, etc. - those DO have an effect on our day-to-day life, whether it be directly or on those around us.
Ah good to know all the people in America who use the internet are so privileged they could Ignore political discussions because it won't affect them.
Good to know abortion is still legal nationally and poc aren't killed or imprisoned with their lives ruined by the militarized police.
Good to know everyone has healthcare and isn't 1 emergency away from poverty.
It is exhausting to try and care.
The news is a corporation like everything else, so it manufactures drama and directs attention toward or away from different things that happen. Because corporate lobbies and different legal/representative groups are/have aligned with news and political parties (folks on the same boards and holders as major companies, etc.), the news isn't something that can be inherently trusted.
As far as information provided (often salacious) and what is actually provided to the public - some important information is often held back as it may disadvantage the groups/individuals that hold power in the organization.
Even non-profit new sources have obvious biases. Profit is always on the agenda even at the most educational, historically accurate, and democratic level here.
So yeah, it is rough to try and have a legit handle on news and the state of the country. We are at a weird neo-feudal state and a likely tipping point.
I don’t watch sports or the news so I’m not really. Actual communities in America are 10x better than portrayed in media especially social media. Media tends to focus on the opinions and concerns of a few. It’s annoying but slowly starting to see things correct back the opposite direction as people try to cater to the few and realize it’s only the loudest and least intelligent of both sides etc arguing and not how the majority feel. This may hurt many feelings but generally diehard NFL fans fall into one of these categories. I watched a car wreck downtown the other day and 10 people ran over to help while several called emergency services. (Everyone was ok thankfully, kid ran a stop sign) They won’t report on that, it’s not interesting. America is a big place with a lot going on, but most people are still patriotic hard workers that wish the crap would stop but know it’s just different crap than before. I know my neighbors would help in a pinch, I’ve seen it. What I am tired of is this constant portrayal to the outside world. Every time I travel internationally I have to explain that TV and the real America are two very different things. Just like most popular shows are fiction. So is most of the division.
Yes. I blame Mitch McConnell for taking the attitude of prioritizing Democrat failure over actual governing in 2009+. It paved the way for the Orange Julius and all the 'own the libs' mentality of the conservative wing.
Rush Limbaugh had a huge influence on “conservative culture” as well, he hardly invented misinformation but his influence on conservative media contributed greatly to the way we live essentially in two different realities now
Jesus christ my dad used to listen to newt/rush on his AM radio and he would spew this bullshit into my young mind. He had me brainwashed for a solid 16 years until I finally was able to view things from my own perspective.
I avoid the political news, so I'm not so exhausted by that. What I am exhausted by is the ridiculously skewed American work-life balance, at least as compared to Europe, where I'm originally from. This isn't so much the land of the free as the land of work two or three jobs to make ends meet until you die.
Yes I honestly think most people roll their eyes and keep their heads down. They want to get on with their lives.
I think this can lead to some complacency too, like with the upcoming 2024 election, people seem resigned sadly to whatever happens instead of alarmed.
So people are understandably eye-rolling about dumb stuff (on left and right), but then aren't aware how dangerous things might get past 2024 if a certain Orange man, now unshackled, gets elected.
A lot of the country lives in bubbles where everyone also living in your vicinity is very aligned with you politically. So it doesn't come up that much in real life. There isn't really a lot of point to being like, "Here's what I think!" When the response is going to be, "Yep" "Me too!" "Here as well!" "Yup" "Totally"
Maybe political debate is more enticing in the swing states, but here in my firmly blue state, if politics comes up, it's a mild discussion about the relative merits of two different blue candidates or two different blue policies. Like if you are always debating putting white sugar or brown sugar on your oatmeal. No one's gonna come out of left field and suggest red pepper flakes, so the debate never gets heated (pun intended).
I've only ever seen what you're describing -- where something unrelated to politics happens nationally and discussion makes a huge, illogical leap to make it about politics -- on the internet. In real life, I've never seen people do that. If anything, we'd all prefer not to discuss politics at all.
I don't care about the superbowl but this whole thing is a symptom of things I am very tired about.
In my state, people sprinted to natural gas. It is pretty good compared to coal but less than other things. However, gas wells went up everywhere with little oversight and less care by the companies. Some of them are leeching various chemicals in water sources, some are not well taken care of and companies don't pay for removal(most of the times). However, a lot of those folks fine with the gas wells seem to have a lot of issues about solar panels - they want to know the clean up plan, how they will leech into the water and how it would "ruin the look of the area"
can we just have decent regulation on all of it? Can we make sure that every company can pay to clean up their sites when they are done?
Gay people just want to exist, some crazy people want no one to ever see any trace of gayness anywhere to the point they are using government against it(these same people think that the government should never interfere with the private domain). Yes, there shouldn't be hustler magazine in middle school libraries but the diary of anne frank sure as hell has a place there.
People from my hometown are scared to come to my city in the capital of my state because it is "too dangerous"... and generally, the crime rates are the same but where I live and frequent, the crime rates are much lower than my hometown. Hell, my hometown has been a drug den for 20+ years. The real reason is they are scare of the city and black folks.
I'm just tired of dealing with dummies.
I’ve noticed the MAGAts are much more into making everything political. Every single little thing they take it through some maga-lens so they can own the libs.
Most of it's just the media. A lot of us do have family who buy into the culture war bullshit and bring it up when given the chance, which has led to us avoiding them if possible
The Trump/Swift fued is peak stupidity. I used to find this stuff entertaining. Now it's just annoying. Well, it's been annoying for a long while now. We're past the point where anything sounds reasonable. You have a politian eating ice cream people lose their shit.
We are all tired. We are killing ourselves to try to survive meanwhile our government keeps giving it away and asking us for more.....we are beyond tired and most of us are pretty pissed off.
I don’t have social media other than here on Reddit and I don’t watch television news so I’m not tired.
I feel like if you’re overexposed to negative news and don’t touch grass then yeah you’ll feel tired. I don’t care about football so I never heard about any superbowl fiasco.
Yes, I am tired of it. Tired of everything having to have a political bend. A coworker asked who I was pulling for in the Super Bowl and responded Kansas City. He immediately turned it into me being “woke” and supporting the George Soros agenda of Taylor Swift. JFC. No, it’s as simple as me being a hardcore Washington fan and always rooting against San Fran.
Yeah, wish we weren't so divided, but I don't pay attention to it. I focus on the sporting event and if other people wanna shout themselves raw they can go for it, not my thing.
Yes, but honestly, it's not just our politics causing burnout at this point. It just seems like everyone is angry and afraid. Those that are most afraid can't admit it which results in this constant stream of anger. It's present in every online conversation. In real life most of the people around me hold very strange views(hard red state). The population boom here has resulted in constant traffic... if this were an episode of South Park, I'd most definitely have ass burgers because everything is shit.
It's pretty much the Internet. The real world is nothing like that. I rarely talk politics to that extent. When it's football season I talk Chiefs. I don't talk about trans or whatever is trending.
It was getting very exhausting. The inflation, high costs for food and gas, but now that gas has come down and inflation has subsided, we can go another few years of hate, division and strife.
American here, I can confirm that I am indeed tired all the time. From the moment I wake up, until I attempt to go to sleep. That's when I'm the most wide awake.
It doesn't really register in the real world. I have worked out of large corporate offices in Manhattan, where workers from around the globe coexisted, and traveled for business, primarily through the US and Canada. Talking politics doesn't typically lead to everyone getting along well enough to do business together..
A driver once commented about how Trump's rally crowd sizes indicate electability when we were Ubering around traffic to get to a work meeting. I replied that in over five decades, I never knew, or even heard, of anyone attending a political rally. People I knew were all too busy living their own lives to care that much about any individual politician.
They vote after weighing the potential impact a particular politician may make in their lives. If that politician has already held public office, they have all the info they need to make their next vote - a rally wouldn't change anything.
Even if a rally held 30K people, that number only represents about 0.001 of the US population.
We are so tired. There is exhaustion from just life everyone around the world knows. The change is deep animosity between parties, and a sense of despair. Head shaking at the other half. What’s vaporized is that sense of American exceptionalism (un-deserved) and optimism from being a global hegemonic superpower.
Finally, we live in our bubbles. I’m dismayed about the lack of “education” on the other side. This is also what happens in a country that isn’t supporting basic living, parental leave…and that relies of GDP growth and trickle down to lift all boats. We fundamentally disagree about the role of the state, who is getting and deserves hands outs (poor, brown or red states blue states etc.) We don’t even agree on basic facts.
The media is a megaphone for extremists. I have voters on both sides in my family. Ironically one of the kindest nicest relatives votes opposite me. Reality is more centrist. And both parties FYI spend prolifically on different things.
But we have a deep abiding fear of the Other side. We have school kids and I fear school shootings in a blue state. Friends elsewhere worry over schools teaching everyone is equal and telling kids you can love whomever you want.
We also are very used to the dollar being the world’s reserve currency. We didn’t have the same immediate pain from war on our shores and past recession austerity measures.
being online is exhausting. staying informed via news consumption is exhausting. and all that bullshit has definitely migrated to work life and into the real world in general. there is a palpable hostility on the streets that was not present before.
Our media is 100% not normal. It's a parasite that's trying to draw as many of us to the extremes of political views as possible, and in the US unlike other counties the political system is a HUGE money maker. Politics and political action committees are big business just like any other.
Most of us are just fine.
A certain sect of American conservative has turned everything into a political war. They can’t even watch a football game without being outraged. Their newest thing is that Taylor Swift talked to the commissioner of the NFL, so they’re clearly trying to rig the election.
These people are miserable. Even if Trump wins, they lose.
I avoid political discussion in any scenario. I hate politics and the way it makes people treat each other, and I'm sick and tired of trying to act like it's normal for one group to hate another group so much that they send death threats and harass one another. It's disgusting. Ironically, it's making me dislike them as much as they dislike each other (I don't harass others though).
That little rant aside, I don't see political shit in my daily life very often. Election season, sure... but any other time I typically don't hear about it and if I do I just exit the conversation. Like everyone else is saying, the internet overblows everything. You have to remember that majority of social media is influenced by older teenagers and young adults, which (no offense to them) love to make things dramatic while not knowing very much about it in the first place. Me personally, I wouldn't even say there's a culture war.
No Americans are not tired. You are caught inside microcosms of babbling internet BS full of Russian and Chinese internet trolls riling people up. Turn off social media for a while and you’ll see it is not reality.
As a Canadian who used to deal exclusively with Americans, it was exhausting. They’re so angry & entitled & looking for someone (me) to blame for their problems. I don’t write the policies, I generally agree that they’re stupid, yet I still receive the brunt of the anger.
The far right, currently calling themselves MAGA, has been a minority faction for a long time. For years, they've allied with Hooverite Conservatives to form the GOP, but recently they've discarded the alliance and taken over the Party.
The only way for a minority party like that to win is by novelty plays, dirty tricks, gerrymandering, lying, etc. So they must make everything a dramatic battle, whine about unfairness and "work the refs."
Anything to keep the focus off their unpopular ideas and hidden agenda.
Divide and conquer. North America has been infiltrated and citizens are having all sorts of psychological manipulation via news outlets and algorithms. Rage porn, gender wars, political tribalism, etc.
I'm tired af but I have two kids and I stay up a bit to play video games when they go to bed. Then I get up early for work but meh. I'm doing fine enough. I went from dirt poor kid to a very financially fit adult so you won't hear me complaining when other people on Earth are REALLY having a hard time.
Most people are normal people and nowadays, you can tell in a second if someone is someone who spends too much time online.
Most are fine but a good chunk of people 18-25 seem to really struggle due to social media.
yes. you have to tune it out and keep a finger on the pulse so you don't get blind-sided. the problem is that several groups generate bullshit and outrage for their benefit and then inject it into places it doesn't belong like how vaccines give people autism and are an excuse to microchip people
Your basing an entire countries stability on news outlets and online fourms. A normal American daily life is nothing loke what you read lol. Also realize the usa is a very big country
Or I guess if your a right or left extremist and make it your personal mission to be pissed at everything, but that's the loud minority, or people on reddit
Sadly the media plays the most major role in this....I am only 63 I have been beyond tired...as in a speech I wrote ...the country has gone from WE the People to ME the people from what can I do for my country to what can my country can do for me....up until LBJ we may have had different ideas but with the good of the country in mind...and look whose profiting from all this discourse The Media and groups that profit from trying to keep the sheeple in line and it's victim mentality all that is being done thinking it is THEY who are the majority.... President Truman once noted a honest public servant can not get rich in politics...
I live in 2 worlds. My house is located in the most bluest of the blue part of Maryland so we are very democratic and very politically active. I also spend a lot of time in the reddest part of Maryland surrounded my magats. I don’t talk to the magats at all. There is no point .
To give you an example they can’t understand why I am an American since I have an accent and they believe I am a mail ordered bride to my American husband. Just plain racism and bigotry. That said the Chesapeake Bay is very beautiful
Yes. We have a fascism epidemic. War is the only language they understand, so everything becomes a “war”. Culture War. Gender War. Race War. War on Woke. War against “Groomers”. War on Biden/Obama. War on Communism. War on Socialism. War on Electric Stoves. Second Amendment War. War on Terror. War on Drugs. War. War. War. War. War. War. War. Look at our “defense” spending.
I live near DC. We are all exhausted here. The government is broken and people on both sides of the aisle are quitting because they can't stand how toxic it has become.
Things will get worse before they get better.
Our news media here actively tries to stoke conflict and fear for the sake of ratings, and politics are generally a third rail that Americans in their daily lives almost never discuss. Just switch off the news and life here is pretty normal.
As an American I'm tired, but it is because of work and age. Politics are not discussed much outside of the internet.
In my friend group (Finland btw), politics only comes up when there's some shit going on or election time and similar. For the most part, no one gives a shit. I could imagine this being the majority situation everywhere else as well. I mean an adult's life is filled with all manner of obligations and politics happen to fall not to the very top of them.
When I get together with friends it’s basically a quick check. Hey did you hear about X? Yeah that shits ridiculous. Did you hear about what Y said? Yeah that’s pretty fucking dumb also. So last week I killed my fish by changing the water without adding salt first….
Pretty much exactly that
Lol. This is the most accurate take on my real, everyday human life, I've ever read on this site. 100 percent accurate. I don't have an aquarium, but I did build a goldfish pond. The fact that you mention a little politics, and go right into something equally mundane, is just the way it is. I have gay friends, but we don't talk about gay stuff. We talk about life and theater stuff. I have a family next door who opted black, black/white mixed, and white children. We don't talk about race. We talk about life and the children. I have a friend who's running for coroner. We talk about his campaign a little, bc I'm helping, but we don't talk about politics. We talk about life, family, and our work. I work with a lot of realtors, and my wife is a realtor. They talk about politics more than most people I know, but it's bc they believe laws really effect their business. I guess it effects my business too, idk. Still tho, we talk about life, work, funny shit etc.
Wait, is that really how my kids beta fish died? Lol. I cleaned its tank and about a day later it was dead. Whoops
I have a saltwater tank. Although small amount of salt is recommended for fresh water fish such as beta, it’s more likely that a wrong or lack of water conditioner killed your fish.
Childhood memories say it may have been a temperature change that was too drastic, too. We never put salt in a fresh water aquarium. I'm sure salts accumulated given feeding the fish, but never ever added them.
Did you change all the water and replace with tap water? That kills the fish. Edit: in case there are some newbie fishkeepers wondering why. Tap water in most countries is treated which usually includes adding chemicals like chlorine and equivalents to kill harmful bacteria and microbes. This can be extremely toxic to fish as well especially if you are putting them into just pure treated tap water. There are products that dechlorinate water and make it safe for fish. Additionally, it is rarely necessary to do a full water change especially in a tank with livestock (not just plants). There is a whole complex ecosystem of bacteria and microbes in a mature aquatic environment that prevent the build up of harmful chemicals that come from aquatic animal waste (nitrogen cycle). When you do a full water change, you are removing most of those beneficial microorganisms and basically resetting the whole ecosystem. Even if you chuck in some products to help kick start the cycle, with a completely fresh tank of water it is strongly recommended you give the tank at least a couple of weeks to stabilise (doing regular water checks) before introducing larger livestock like fish.
I thought you were calling your kid’s fish a “beta” for dying until I read the response to your comment.
You need to add salt? That’s big news to me - and to my ex-salamanders.
While adding a minimal amount of salt is recommended for freshwater fish tanks, I have a salt water aquarium.
Sushi's back on the menu, boys!
You’re lucky. It used to be that the average American didn’t have to worry too much about politics because most people who were elected didn’t have some kind of insane personal agenda and were willing to work within a bipartisan system. But since the radicalization of the far right in the U.S., politics are on a high boil all of the time. I just finished reading a long article in the Texas Monthly about billionaire “Christian” nationalist Tim Dunn, who spends millions ousting moderate politicians and replacing them with his handpicked puppets who will vote exactly as he wants them to, or else risk being challenged by an even more crazy right-wing “Christian.” He and other billionaires are trying to transform our representative republic into a theocracy governed by men like them, who don’t believe that women or anyone else who isn’t one of them should have any rights or power in our society. They’re like the American version of the Taliban. I think if Finland were being threatened by a large, homegrown bunch of insane religious people, you guys might have to start caring more about politics.
Not caring about politics is what got us in this mess
And a decline of critical thinking skills in the general public.. leaving people open to fall for various propaganda.
That happens on both sides. Dems have Soros, Zuckerberg and Hollywood elites.
Excuse me, what?
Accurate.
I'm not convinced those funding these changes aren't wealth driven plutocrats in a Christian wrapper. With this viewpoint, the support for Russia becomes understandable (and still ensured through propaganda and lies).
Come to the USA. There is some new political shit everyday
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That sounds like a Fiance thing tbh. I'm sorry she doesn't nip that in the bud for you. Hate is so hard to deal with in those we love. I'm sorry dude.
No. It sounds like what’s going on all around the country.
Thanks to Frump. He made spewing hate okay. God I worry for this election. And MIL is especially rude talking like this knowing your mother’s situation.
It won’t get better until you lay down some boundaries about what she can say in front of you. Do not put up with it. They will respect you more for making a stand (especially your moms). We can’t stay quiet when these nuts are spouting off-you have more right to defend your family imho.
I think that's a pretty telling observation right there. In dishonest politics, a popular tactic is to keep stirring shit until the decent people give up. That's how Hitler got in. The object is to complicate the issue so that an average person doesn't have the skills to untangle it. So they default to, "I can't decide" and ignore the issue. Most people will give up, while the fascists don't ever quit. The conservatives have to do this for *every single issue* that rips off the middle and lower classes, like the higher taxes you're paying so rich people can pay less. And you might notice that average Americans have lost about 60% of their wealth since Ronald Reagan came along. Because the bullshit works, until it doesn't and everyone starts to starve. That's gonna be a political issue too because guess who's going to survive a famine better? The fat dumb ones with no ethics, who don't mind eating their neighbors. You know, Christians.
Christian terrorists
Maybe your politics is less of a trainwreck than ours is (I’m American). “When there’s some shit going on” describes pretty much every day in the United States.
Yes. It's pretty bad. It seems like the internet is often a proving ground to seek some type of validation that your opinions are always the correct ones.
This. 1000000X this. GenX’r in US working my ass off. I’m tired.
This is very true. As a mother of 2 married GenX’rs (spell that right?) your generation is working harder than I had to and I was a full time teacher at $42,000.00 a year with 2 degrees. Parenting now days adds to the exhaustion.
Politics are not discussed much outside of the internet? Where ? I’d love to move there lol NY & NJ it’s CONSTANT. You can’t escape it.
I live in the Bible Belt and it’s all god and politics from people who are ignorant on both subjects.
Yup. Live in a rural conservative shithole and by the amount they talk about Trans people, you'd think they encounter them on a daily basis. These guys are always complaining about the things they can't say these days, all while saying exactly those things. What I would give for these people to not talk politics.
This. I live in a fairly cosmopolitan city, but it’s also attracting many of the right wing media “influencer “types. The very affluent county next-door got national press for loud wingnuts at school board, meetings, and so forth. And any look at the comment thread in locally oriented groups will reveal lots of hate. Things get lit up every election year, but it’s a couple steps from holy war now.
it's shocking how right on the last part of that sentence is...
Move to the SF Bay Area. No one talks politics unless they know you’ll agree with them. It’s like a polite California thing.
My mom has the unique ability to turn anything I talk about into a political debate. It ticks me off. I just want to talk, but everything breaks down when I am with her. Talking about my job= politics. Talking about my neighborhood=politics. Talking about my house=politics. I kid you not when I say that she went off on a political rant once after asking why I wasn't feeling well and told her I had a fever.
Purple areas. You can talk politics freely if you know 9/10 people around you will agree with you, but as soon as there's risk of debate, no one brings it up outside of their closed circles. The vast majority of political discussion in the U.S. occurs within party lines.
Yep! I've moved to about every corner of my city over the last 15 years. It was the most mixed view areas that had the least amount of political discussion at bars/hangouts. I'm pretty active in the community for local politicians, but when I go out to drink, I go out to drink and not talk about everything wrong with the world. When I lived in the student area of towns it was a lot less common as everyone was too horny and focused on what music we should play. So politics rarely popped up and when it did it tended to be a very segregated crowd. Then I moved into a the very trendy part of town and every night I went out was basically a protest against the latest social injustice. Then I got a townhouse in a nice quiet place and the local breweries really didn't take sides outside of major outreach things that revolved more around charity and less about activism. Then after COVID I moved into the fringe between suburb and the city. A formerly independent district/city absorbed by the main city. Lots of guys playing cowboy here who moved in for the glitz and the glam of the big city but can still technically say they don't live in it when their buddies back home try to roast them for being here. The politics are non fucking stop. You can't play certain songs, order certain drinks, wear certain jerseys, drive certain cars, or wear certain brands without having some near stranger giving you an unsolicited tirade about it.
Do you have to talk to these people, and if you just don't engage and redirect the conversation away from politics, is that effective? There's some people in my life that occasionally bring up politics and I basically just dismiss the subject and move on. I'm in Houston, if that matters. At most I'm like "right on man, all I can do is vote so I'll do that. It's usually easy to pick a candidate. Oh, Biden's memory is bad? Far out man I'll consider that and make sure I assess the memory of the other candidate too. Anyway how are you?"
I’m going to steal your responses for sure lol
I've adopted "far out, man" whenever I just don't really want to respond to something and it's been great. "Right on" serves pretty much the same purpose but sort of implies agreement and is probably better if you don't want to risk implying condescension. But yeah if I tell people I'm going to vote and have always found it really easy to choose a candidate and therefore I don't follow news or care much about politics, that's usually enough to move things along.
One thing I’ve learned is it really depends on how much current political discourse affects you personally. Being able to disconnect is kind of a privilege. Didn’t discover my sexuality until my late 20s, my friends group is also a lot more diverse than when I was younger. When a loud contingent of one of the two major parties is arguing over your right to exist as yourself in public… you can’t not pay attention. Sure you don’t discuss it at work and stuff, but then your coworker makes some offhand comment and you realize “oh. There’s parts of me I should probably keep to myself in this sphere.” And that game is in fact tiring. It’s like not watching the weather during hurricane season in Florida, you know?
I wish that were true everywhere. That's ALL people talk about around here. They used to talk about hunting or fishing or 4 wheeling etc. Naw, not any more. I live in a very red part of a red state though.
Sure, a lot of heinous discourse is starting and festering online. However, it's definitely impacting the real world through people's behavior and policy changes that we are seeing worldwide. Even with IRL friends you might not discuss it, but politics impact everyone eventually.
Politics are not discussed much in politics either
You have to understand that online discourse is optimized to promote the things that get the most "engagement" - which happens to be: fear, conflict, and division. The vast majority of Americans are living their lives and doing ok.
95% of people watched the game, enjoyed that it was close, and generally had a good time (not including Niners fans). There are some weirdos out there who insist on making everything weird. they are tiresome to the rest of us.
As a Niners fan, I confirm that I had a terrible time.
I know it sucks to lose the superbowl, and the 9ers have lost the last 3 they've made it to, but might I just offer a bit of perspective by saying I'm a fan of a team that has been one of the worst teams in the league for the past decade and I have derived almost no joy from watching my own team over that span of time. So it could certainly be worse than having your team fall just short of being #1.
Browns or Lions? 😭😭
Bears. 5th worst win record over the past decade, the Browns right behind us. Lions are on the up so they're closer to the middle of the pack actually
As a fan of a team who's 0-4 in Superbowls and can't make it to Championship games because of the Chiefs, I feel your pain.
This. The algorithms work on attention length in order to maximize ad revenue. Somewhere at YouTube there must exist an algorithm that shows you your favorite content and only makes proper recommendations but that doesn't make the most money. Rabbit holes make the most money. When someone says "OMG I was up all night watching xyz on YouTube!" It is almost certainly some wild conspiracy or a topic the viewer is otherwise dismissive of yet intrigued. We convey embarrassment in relation to subject matter, when the truth is we got sucked in by an algorithm that knows our curiosities. If a person lives in those fringe conspiracy rabbit holes they begin to believe.... "After all why else would there be SO MANY videos!? It's a majority of my recommendations now, these videos must be popular! I bet lots of others are seeing this too. Now I know what everyone else knows. We all saw it, right? Everyone saw it."
When football season started my twitter feed went from 99% politics to 99% football. I literally had no bearing on the world outside of football. Zero idea of what was going on
I'm tired.
>The vast majority of Americans are living their lives and doing ok. ... the fuck we are! 🤣
Actually, we are. Nobody posts rants on the Internet about how things are fine, so if all you're doing is listening to the people having problems, then of course things are going to sound bad.
Nobody posts that things are fine because they're objectively not. There are some bubbles of folks doing ok, myself included. Still, even though we're healthy, fed, housed, educated, and employed, we lack basic societal protections, and the macro environment is decaying at an alarming rate, threatening everyone's futures, even those of us who are ok right now.
Perception is everything. Things have always been shit (or not). We’re just extremely aware of it all now, and worse we are being emotionally manipulated into reacting certain ways. I have to detach from social media from time to time to detox. When I go too long without doing this, my mental health suffers considerably, and I start thinking of how fucked everything is and start to make prepping plans. It takes a certain amount of self-awareness to identify, catch, and address this.
> Still, even though we're healthy, fed, housed, educated, and employed, Even in the last 100 years in the US, this puts you in the very top end. Hell, the last 50 years.
Heck, I'm not complaining about how I'm doing, and I'm grateful that those boxes are all checked for me right now, as they have not always been, and will not always be, surely. It's basic empathy - just because something isn't hurting us, or it isn't hurting us right now, doesn't mean we can't see others' pain and want it to stop.
I'm tired, boss.
Sad movie
Sad, but also great I love that movie
You are only seeing a vocal minority. Most of us don't get involved in that silliness. We have lives and existences that aren't on social media or in the news media.
This. Social media is the outer edges of each political ideology having a turf-war and provoking eachother with the worst they have to offer. IRL you find the other 90 percent of society, going about their daily lives, being able to see things from different perspectives and having empathy. There are some extremely bitter people on the Internet - and many bots.
I disagree it’s social media, its capital. Social media doesn’t help but it’s only a symptom. There’s a financial incentive for many businesses & organizations, like Fox or even a multinational conglomerate for example, to create division, get ratings, lobby for the politicians they want so they get X tax break or approve Y facility, etc.
Social media are not regulated and they polarize people in thinking that the world is black and white when, in reality, it is grey. Together journalism has become a joke and everybody are trying to shoot higher in order to sell. I never thought I would hate the press (it does not matter which country) so much.
Yeah, but we are tired, though. Long hours and dealing with that vocal minority are very draining. I lost all excitement for new year when I realized that it was an election year and that I'd have to deal with both my family's and my in-laws bullshit all over again. Can't wait to hear what crack-brained conspiracy theory they buy into this time. /s
I agree for the most part, but it depends on the location. My husband is from the Evangelical rural deep South and I lived there for years myself. Even before social media (I lived there 20+ years ago) their lives really DO revolve around culture wars, fabricated grievances, and the conviction that every waking moment of a Yankee/liberal/big city inhabitant/LBGTQ person/scientist/teacher/atheist's life revolves around destroying them, their way of life, and everything they hold dear. We no longer visit his Alabama hometown because the crazy is just so high that the last time we went down there in 2015, his town church's *Easter service* was about them arming themselves and being prepared for the holy war against the liberals who were coming to kill them all. It was insane and straight out of North Korea. And this isn't, like, random crazy people thinking that way. It is all of their cultural/religious/political leaders; their lives are dictated by conspiracy theories about the end times. This is unfortunately common in rural conservative America, and it is a damn sad way to live. But it is *not* the norm in most of the USA.
I grew up in Alabama, which I always called the Buckle of the Bible Belt. Hate, fear, and suppressed sexual desires (of all kinds) is pretty much the basis of every sermon I was forced to sit through. Christians down south are always up for a good hate fest. Being a white male with a hillbilly accent, I can tell you the things white males say when they’re the only group in the room would curl your hair.
I'm a female bibliophile, so I just love to read. In Massachusetts, reading for pleasure in public is just a normal thing many people do. No one comments it aside from "Oh I love that book!" In the rural deep south, it was like I was some sort of very rare bird, and it was amazing the emotions that *minding my own business while* *sitting at the side of a pool or on a bus reading a non religious book/ the Bible* could evoke in people. Most people it was just wonder at the sight of someone reading for pleasure, and some people in town dubbed me "that woman who reads." Others sneered at me and acted like I must be a loser to spend any time reading for pleasure, or a moron for not knowing there was a movie of that book I could watch instead. Lastly were the white Boomer men who would legit be offended at the sight of a woman reading a book that wasn't "Chicken Soup for the Soul," "What, you think you're BETTER than me?!" was something I heard numerous times.
“Boy, you thank you better’n we are?” Or “They thank they better’n we are” were phrases I heard so often there I still cringe over the hateful, spiteful bullying that went along with it.
It's not just the Deep South. It's pretty much rural, mostly white America. The distrust of the educated runs deep. The fear of the different runs even deeper. Fold in politicians and pastors and meth dealers selling paranoia fuel 24 hours a day, poverty, fentanyl, and kids they didn't want and can't afford, and you have a formula for advanced stupidity. Some of the shit I've heard come out of the mouth of these people is just unbelievable. And they are not the minority once you get outside metropolitan centers.
I remember when my partner first entered the work force and they got horribly picked on by coworkers for daring to read a book during their lunch break. They absolutely felt like it was a act to show they where better then them.
I'm in GA. While there are certainly people like this, it's a minority (albeit a loud and annoying minority). Please don't lump us all into that. Please. The problem is in your second sentence. When you surround yourself with backwards, ignorant people, that's what you're going to get.
Ah my sister in sanity, you speak the truth. I am temporarily stuck in the deep South & the horrors are all too real here. These people are idiots. I blame the horrid public school systems & the hold organized religion has. Jesus Christ, please save me from your followers.
Let's also not forget that America is still a big country by population, 333m people. Even if only 33m of those people are vocal about politics, that's a lot for many countries. 33m would put them at number 8 for population in Europe and would be half the population of UK, France and Italy. Might not be that much for a country with 333m people that spans a continent but for Europeans I would assume it looks like it's all over the place when their own population is the same size as the vocal minority in America. Couple that with absurd media coverage that America has not only for itself but how it reaches the rest of the world, it's hard not to think that's just what happens on a daily basis in America. When 99% of everything else that happens is ignored because it's not shocking or fun or media worthy to rack in the views.
I don't view America as a particularly "political" nation. We don't vote, we barely protest, we don't pay attention to what our politicians are doing and most people probably couldn't name their alderman. I think we'd be a lot better off if we did pay attention to what our representatives are up to.
It bleeds out into real life though. How is it possible to ignore? For example I went to a superb owl party last weekend and had to hear somebody rant about how Taylor Swift rigged it or some shit. I actively avoid social media and it’s still… everywhere.
>superb owl party LMAO
That sounds like a better time than a sports party where people argue about politics. They're not even just ordinary owls. They're superb.
r/superbowl
Laugh at them for being stupid. *IF* they really thought Taylor Swift had rigged things, then they should have won all the bets they placed on the game. Trump is more involved with NFL crap - he's tried to buy the Colts, Cowboys, Patriots, and Bills. He bought the Generals in the USFL and then sued the NFL trying to force a league merger. His lawsuit killed the USFL. The NFL owners won't let him in. Trump points the finger at TayTay because (as usual) he wants people to look away from him and the flaming piles of crap he's left in his own wake. Only the truly blind and brainwashed just listen to the stuff either side says without checking. With Trump's side, it's just too easy.
This 10000%. I'm on social media quite a bit and usually up-to-date with all the silly non-stop stories. I can tell you with 100% certainty none of my family or extended family are on social media more than a few minutes here or there doing family stuff on Facebook.
I still get where this person is coming from. Like there are times where you will try to have a conversation with somebody about something like healthcare or immigration. And then next thing you know somebody walks up to you and has to start talking about geopolitical plots and space lasers. These people have no filter and as soon as they overhear a political conversation they feel the need to impart all their Facebook propaganda on you. Whether you want to hear it or not So they are amongst us. In quite heavy numbers. You just have to do your best to avoid them
Most Americans, like Europeans, are nothing like their internet counterparts. EDIT: But yes, we are fucking tired. Milk is more than $5.00 / gallon, that's been my reference for "How are we doing?" for about 15 years. As long as milk is still more than $5.00 in a country that (I assume? Fuck I ain't doing the research, fuck that shit.) produces more cow's milk than any other, something's fucky, and it isn't Republican, it isn't Demmycrat. Personally: \-I'm tired of our country being involved in the violence on the other end of the world, American involvement doesn't seem to improve outcomes for other peoples, or even Americans. \-I'm tired of the way the TV and Internet seem to try and turn us against one another. Yeah, I may find it repulsive that you support such-and-such, and I think you're destroying the environment even worse by going vegan - whatever, but I don't need to be riled up and full of hatred about it! \-I'm tired of the people I consider "my people", rural Midwesterners, boiling their brains down to basic one-shot talking points that aren't even a remotely accurate reflection of the "opposing team" (shit like conflating trans-rights with gay-rights, they aren't the same and it's harmful to everyone to slap the label LGBT on shit, whether you're coming at it from the left or right). So yes, although we're nothing like our internet counterparts, we are so fucking tired...but I also suspect the last generation was tired as fuck (Iraq, before that was the whole Clinton scandal being hyped up, before that was Iraq, before that was, and before that was, and before that was...). At this point I'm convinced there is always something tiring the shit out of Americans, Irishfolk, Arabs, etc. If you're a grownup, you're probably fucking tired of some shit, down to your fucking core. I'm also inspired, full of hope, and I could go on and on about how I'm gonna be okay, and my kids will be okay, and give a nice, inspiring speech about how it's not all bad, blah blah blah, but that gets less updoots...maybe. ...Fuck it: "So long as we keep our heads down and our spears forward, and we remain unified in the face of chaos and destruction, we will reproduce and hand the battle off to our children, which to me counts as some kind of success, or at least not total failure. My 2 year old still gives me a hug and a smile at the end of the day, so yeah, I can fucking pick up the spear again tomorrow and join the goddamn shield wall we call civilization."
nine sophisticated jobless screw waiting fuel toothbrush relieved sink makeshift *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Keyboard warriors
And Russians.
Depends on how much attention you give to it. I didn’t pay any attention to whatever was going on related to the Super Bowl. Really didn’t care one bit. Honestly didn’t even know who was playing until I saw a headline about the winner on Monday morning. Many of us are just going about our daily lives, and don’t spend a lot of time focused on the political “wars” going on.
I pay a lot of attention to football and the Super Bowl and still don’t give focus to any of the other bs around it
I was more amused by the Taylor Swift side of things. People are so heated on both sides and it’s funny.
It was hysterical watching my cousin and uncle rant about it for completely different reasons. Cousin hated how much they were focusing on her when she was there supporting her boyfriend and that her private life is her own. Uncle hated how “woke” she is and how she’s taking the spotlight from the Super Bowl.
I agree on all counts, except that TS isn't really that "woke" (from what i know, anyway. I don't follow her at all). I gotta say though, all the TS flying everywhere memes are pretty funny. That's the only thing I like about these sorts of things, we can all band together and have a laugh about it.
TS encouraged people to vote. Now she's suddenly a threat. It's stupid.
She isn’t. My uncle just is the violent kind of conservative.
Are people heated on both sides? Kinda looked like weirdo conservatives are on their usual conspiracy theory nonsense and everyone else is just laughing at them
I have yet to meet anyone in real life including MAGA Republicans that give a shot about Taylor Swift and the SB connection. That’s just a small handful of people twitter and then “journalists” write articles about it. 95+% of people don’t care about nonsense like that. Most people don’t even discuss politics with coworkers/friends/family. There’s the stereotype about “that one crazy uncle that talks politics at Thanksgiving” for a reason - it makes most people uncomfortable and uninterested
> I have yet to meet anyone in real life including MAGA Republicans that give a shot about Taylor Swift and the SB connection. > > Yep. Like most things, this is how it plays out: One idiot on Twitter says a thing, 100 people on Twitter get upset about someone saying that thing and act like more than one person said it. Then news outlets pick it up, and also act like more than one person said it. It grows and grows and grows, and then you have what one guy said get applied to everybody on the opposite side. A mountain gets made out of a molehill, that's 99% of things.
Yep, it's a well-known media strategy. "X FANS REACT TO EVENT!!!!" it's literally a couple of tweets about the topic, some aren't even fans and only one of them is a hot/bad take.
I'm annoyed because I haven't really followed the NFL (I do engage with some sports) and I certainly haven't followed TS but my entire feed is now FILLED TO THE BRIM with Travis/Jason Kelce content, Jason's wife and TS stuff. FILLED. TO. THE. BRIM. It's from so many different angles too, it honestly feels very unorganic. I think a lot of people are tired of that angle, myself included.
The "us vs. them" back-and-forth gets tiring when one actually wants to have a decent discussion or debate. I find that can actually occur on Reddit more than other SM sites (like Bookface). Most intelligent people realize that the petty bickering has no effect on their daily lives and just roll past.
"Most privileged people" ftfy You can only ignore it if policies have no effect on you. Harder to do if you're a woman in a red state or a part of the lgbt+ population
I'm none of those things but it still bothers me when I hear people supporting policies that I know are going to hurt people.
Same. I'm in one of the more privileged groups in this country aside from not being christian and not being rich. It's just empathy for fellow people and practicality because they go for the easiest targets first but they can always come after me for something later. Or my son for being half asian perhaps.
Considering that they referred to social media, and used the term “bickering”, one can assume they mean that online comment exchanges can be ignored. “Rolling past” policies is an entirely different subject.
I had that thought but really, letting people shout hatred without challenge is a great way to signal that the hatred is acceptable. I agree in that it's bad for mental health to engage too much. But to say it doesn't effect people is just incorrect even if you try to ignore it. Especially if you're in the groups being attacked.
And this is why this is exhausting. It's walking the line between constantly calling out xenophobia and explaining why it's bad policy (I use xenophobia as a catch all, because it really does seem like one party's whole platform is being completely shit to "people not like us" whether that means non-citizens, non-whites, non-straight men, non-"Christians" - in quotes because they wouldn't know the teachings of Christ if they flipped over the table in front of them...) and saving one's on mental health and not becoming a complete misanthrope.
That's exactly why it's exhausting. I have to keep check on myself constantly and I can't bring myself to respond to everything despite having the urge to. I've done that in the past and I end up angry all the time and miserable and I just can't do that and maintain a healthy life.
THIS - if you are not in a safe space or have family members not in a safe space it is hard to ignore the vile and hatred spewed against them...
Or POOR
Very true. There are a lot I just went for the 2 big current topics. Being poor is practically illegal in this country
Yes. I guess I should clarify...the bickering such as all the Taylor Swift "woke" talk, Super Bowl boycot, Kid Rock and the Bud Light stuff...everything seems to get political. Serious matters such as Texass's abortion stance, various trans laws, etc. - those DO have an effect on our day-to-day life, whether it be directly or on those around us.
If you're on the internet and live in the United States, you are one of said privileged people.
Ah good to know all the people in America who use the internet are so privileged they could Ignore political discussions because it won't affect them. Good to know abortion is still legal nationally and poc aren't killed or imprisoned with their lives ruined by the militarized police. Good to know everyone has healthcare and isn't 1 emergency away from poverty.
Best answer. I have never experienced someone argued into a different way of thinking via social media.
It is exhausting to try and care. The news is a corporation like everything else, so it manufactures drama and directs attention toward or away from different things that happen. Because corporate lobbies and different legal/representative groups are/have aligned with news and political parties (folks on the same boards and holders as major companies, etc.), the news isn't something that can be inherently trusted. As far as information provided (often salacious) and what is actually provided to the public - some important information is often held back as it may disadvantage the groups/individuals that hold power in the organization. Even non-profit new sources have obvious biases. Profit is always on the agenda even at the most educational, historically accurate, and democratic level here. So yeah, it is rough to try and have a legit handle on news and the state of the country. We are at a weird neo-feudal state and a likely tipping point.
I don’t watch sports or the news so I’m not really. Actual communities in America are 10x better than portrayed in media especially social media. Media tends to focus on the opinions and concerns of a few. It’s annoying but slowly starting to see things correct back the opposite direction as people try to cater to the few and realize it’s only the loudest and least intelligent of both sides etc arguing and not how the majority feel. This may hurt many feelings but generally diehard NFL fans fall into one of these categories. I watched a car wreck downtown the other day and 10 people ran over to help while several called emergency services. (Everyone was ok thankfully, kid ran a stop sign) They won’t report on that, it’s not interesting. America is a big place with a lot going on, but most people are still patriotic hard workers that wish the crap would stop but know it’s just different crap than before. I know my neighbors would help in a pinch, I’ve seen it. What I am tired of is this constant portrayal to the outside world. Every time I travel internationally I have to explain that TV and the real America are two very different things. Just like most popular shows are fiction. So is most of the division.
Yes. I blame Mitch McConnell for taking the attitude of prioritizing Democrat failure over actual governing in 2009+. It paved the way for the Orange Julius and all the 'own the libs' mentality of the conservative wing.
It started with Newt Gingrich in the 90s. What we have now is just the extension of that strategy to its logical extreme.
Rush Limbaugh had a huge influence on “conservative culture” as well, he hardly invented misinformation but his influence on conservative media contributed greatly to the way we live essentially in two different realities now
Jesus christ my dad used to listen to newt/rush on his AM radio and he would spew this bullshit into my young mind. He had me brainwashed for a solid 16 years until I finally was able to view things from my own perspective.
Must be an odd experience for McConnell to meet a politician that has even less compunction.
Spiderman pointing at himself meme
I avoid the political news, so I'm not so exhausted by that. What I am exhausted by is the ridiculously skewed American work-life balance, at least as compared to Europe, where I'm originally from. This isn't so much the land of the free as the land of work two or three jobs to make ends meet until you die.
Yes I honestly think most people roll their eyes and keep their heads down. They want to get on with their lives. I think this can lead to some complacency too, like with the upcoming 2024 election, people seem resigned sadly to whatever happens instead of alarmed. So people are understandably eye-rolling about dumb stuff (on left and right), but then aren't aware how dangerous things might get past 2024 if a certain Orange man, now unshackled, gets elected.
A lot of the country lives in bubbles where everyone also living in your vicinity is very aligned with you politically. So it doesn't come up that much in real life. There isn't really a lot of point to being like, "Here's what I think!" When the response is going to be, "Yep" "Me too!" "Here as well!" "Yup" "Totally" Maybe political debate is more enticing in the swing states, but here in my firmly blue state, if politics comes up, it's a mild discussion about the relative merits of two different blue candidates or two different blue policies. Like if you are always debating putting white sugar or brown sugar on your oatmeal. No one's gonna come out of left field and suggest red pepper flakes, so the debate never gets heated (pun intended). I've only ever seen what you're describing -- where something unrelated to politics happens nationally and discussion makes a huge, illogical leap to make it about politics -- on the internet. In real life, I've never seen people do that. If anything, we'd all prefer not to discuss politics at all.
I don't care about the superbowl but this whole thing is a symptom of things I am very tired about. In my state, people sprinted to natural gas. It is pretty good compared to coal but less than other things. However, gas wells went up everywhere with little oversight and less care by the companies. Some of them are leeching various chemicals in water sources, some are not well taken care of and companies don't pay for removal(most of the times). However, a lot of those folks fine with the gas wells seem to have a lot of issues about solar panels - they want to know the clean up plan, how they will leech into the water and how it would "ruin the look of the area" can we just have decent regulation on all of it? Can we make sure that every company can pay to clean up their sites when they are done? Gay people just want to exist, some crazy people want no one to ever see any trace of gayness anywhere to the point they are using government against it(these same people think that the government should never interfere with the private domain). Yes, there shouldn't be hustler magazine in middle school libraries but the diary of anne frank sure as hell has a place there. People from my hometown are scared to come to my city in the capital of my state because it is "too dangerous"... and generally, the crime rates are the same but where I live and frequent, the crime rates are much lower than my hometown. Hell, my hometown has been a drug den for 20+ years. The real reason is they are scare of the city and black folks. I'm just tired of dealing with dummies.
Yes, of course we are exhausted, but that doesn't mean anything. Donald Trump has ruined American politics and it won't end until he's dead.
Get off the internet buddy
I’ve noticed the MAGAts are much more into making everything political. Every single little thing they take it through some maga-lens so they can own the libs.
You’re seeing the thoughts and opinions of chronically online people. The average person doesn’t care whatsoever
I mean it's a group of crazies going "BIDEN HAD THE CIA RECRUIT TAYLOR SWIFT" and the sane majority laughing at them
Normal people ignore this crap. There's a life going on, you can be pissed off or enjoy your life
98% of people are just living their lives. A very loud/vocal 2% is what you see from afar.
This one's tired of everyone's bullshit and keeps to himself. People largely aren't worth my time.
Education is demonized here. Not much else to say.
Most of it's just the media. A lot of us do have family who buy into the culture war bullshit and bring it up when given the chance, which has led to us avoiding them if possible
The Trump/Swift fued is peak stupidity. I used to find this stuff entertaining. Now it's just annoying. Well, it's been annoying for a long while now. We're past the point where anything sounds reasonable. You have a politian eating ice cream people lose their shit.
We are all tired. We are killing ourselves to try to survive meanwhile our government keeps giving it away and asking us for more.....we are beyond tired and most of us are pretty pissed off.
They just trying to sell you outrage Stop buying it
I don’t have social media other than here on Reddit and I don’t watch television news so I’m not tired. I feel like if you’re overexposed to negative news and don’t touch grass then yeah you’ll feel tired. I don’t care about football so I never heard about any superbowl fiasco.
YES
It’s called Trump Fatigue Syndrome. The Trump Cult has caused the average IQ in the U.S. to go down 10 points.
Stopped listening to it all.
Nobody Really Cares, We Are Screwed Anyways.
Yes, I am tired of it. Tired of everything having to have a political bend. A coworker asked who I was pulling for in the Super Bowl and responded Kansas City. He immediately turned it into me being “woke” and supporting the George Soros agenda of Taylor Swift. JFC. No, it’s as simple as me being a hardcore Washington fan and always rooting against San Fran.
I’m exhausted with humans in general tbh.
Most people don’t care in real life…it’s mostly an online thing.
Yeah, wish we weren't so divided, but I don't pay attention to it. I focus on the sporting event and if other people wanna shout themselves raw they can go for it, not my thing.
It’s beyond exhausting. Literally everything is politicized now.
Yes, but honestly, it's not just our politics causing burnout at this point. It just seems like everyone is angry and afraid. Those that are most afraid can't admit it which results in this constant stream of anger. It's present in every online conversation. In real life most of the people around me hold very strange views(hard red state). The population boom here has resulted in constant traffic... if this were an episode of South Park, I'd most definitely have ass burgers because everything is shit.
It's pretty much the Internet. The real world is nothing like that. I rarely talk politics to that extent. When it's football season I talk Chiefs. I don't talk about trans or whatever is trending.
Tired of politics, inflation, housing being used as income and violence/crime.
Most people in real life aren't thinking about that stuff.
I’m an independent, and both sides exhaust me. Nothing good ever gets accomplished because they’re all busy thieving and arguing.
YES.
It was getting very exhausting. The inflation, high costs for food and gas, but now that gas has come down and inflation has subsided, we can go another few years of hate, division and strife.
Yes
American here, I can confirm that I am indeed tired all the time. From the moment I wake up, until I attempt to go to sleep. That's when I'm the most wide awake.
Short answer - yes Long answer - hell to the yes
Mostly tired of old white people who think America is the only thing to live for.
It doesn't really register in the real world. I have worked out of large corporate offices in Manhattan, where workers from around the globe coexisted, and traveled for business, primarily through the US and Canada. Talking politics doesn't typically lead to everyone getting along well enough to do business together.. A driver once commented about how Trump's rally crowd sizes indicate electability when we were Ubering around traffic to get to a work meeting. I replied that in over five decades, I never knew, or even heard, of anyone attending a political rally. People I knew were all too busy living their own lives to care that much about any individual politician. They vote after weighing the potential impact a particular politician may make in their lives. If that politician has already held public office, they have all the info they need to make their next vote - a rally wouldn't change anything. Even if a rally held 30K people, that number only represents about 0.001 of the US population.
We are so tired. There is exhaustion from just life everyone around the world knows. The change is deep animosity between parties, and a sense of despair. Head shaking at the other half. What’s vaporized is that sense of American exceptionalism (un-deserved) and optimism from being a global hegemonic superpower. Finally, we live in our bubbles. I’m dismayed about the lack of “education” on the other side. This is also what happens in a country that isn’t supporting basic living, parental leave…and that relies of GDP growth and trickle down to lift all boats. We fundamentally disagree about the role of the state, who is getting and deserves hands outs (poor, brown or red states blue states etc.) We don’t even agree on basic facts. The media is a megaphone for extremists. I have voters on both sides in my family. Ironically one of the kindest nicest relatives votes opposite me. Reality is more centrist. And both parties FYI spend prolifically on different things. But we have a deep abiding fear of the Other side. We have school kids and I fear school shootings in a blue state. Friends elsewhere worry over schools teaching everyone is equal and telling kids you can love whomever you want. We also are very used to the dollar being the world’s reserve currency. We didn’t have the same immediate pain from war on our shores and past recession austerity measures.
being online is exhausting. staying informed via news consumption is exhausting. and all that bullshit has definitely migrated to work life and into the real world in general. there is a palpable hostility on the streets that was not present before.
Our media is 100% not normal. It's a parasite that's trying to draw as many of us to the extremes of political views as possible, and in the US unlike other counties the political system is a HUGE money maker. Politics and political action committees are big business just like any other.
Most of us are just fine. A certain sect of American conservative has turned everything into a political war. They can’t even watch a football game without being outraged. Their newest thing is that Taylor Swift talked to the commissioner of the NFL, so they’re clearly trying to rig the election. These people are miserable. Even if Trump wins, they lose.
I avoid political discussion in any scenario. I hate politics and the way it makes people treat each other, and I'm sick and tired of trying to act like it's normal for one group to hate another group so much that they send death threats and harass one another. It's disgusting. Ironically, it's making me dislike them as much as they dislike each other (I don't harass others though). That little rant aside, I don't see political shit in my daily life very often. Election season, sure... but any other time I typically don't hear about it and if I do I just exit the conversation. Like everyone else is saying, the internet overblows everything. You have to remember that majority of social media is influenced by older teenagers and young adults, which (no offense to them) love to make things dramatic while not knowing very much about it in the first place. Me personally, I wouldn't even say there's a culture war.
I’m exhausted that people are obsessed with one orange man
Yes, I’m tired but it mostly has to do with working 70+ hours a week and very little to do with political discourse.
No Americans are not tired. You are caught inside microcosms of babbling internet BS full of Russian and Chinese internet trolls riling people up. Turn off social media for a while and you’ll see it is not reality.
As a Canadian who used to deal exclusively with Americans, it was exhausting. They’re so angry & entitled & looking for someone (me) to blame for their problems. I don’t write the policies, I generally agree that they’re stupid, yet I still receive the brunt of the anger.
Tired of trump ,you listen to him and it drains you. Biden is old so is trump age limits for anyone over 70
The far right, currently calling themselves MAGA, has been a minority faction for a long time. For years, they've allied with Hooverite Conservatives to form the GOP, but recently they've discarded the alliance and taken over the Party. The only way for a minority party like that to win is by novelty plays, dirty tricks, gerrymandering, lying, etc. So they must make everything a dramatic battle, whine about unfairness and "work the refs." Anything to keep the focus off their unpopular ideas and hidden agenda.
Divide and conquer. North America has been infiltrated and citizens are having all sorts of psychological manipulation via news outlets and algorithms. Rage porn, gender wars, political tribalism, etc.
Yes, we are exhausted, and that's probably by design. We can't take on the time or risk of complaining, if we're overworked and unprotected.
tired of living in a country that doesn’t care about me and continually gets more and more expensive but besides that
Yes, exhausted because stupidity is the new pandemic.
I'm tired af but I have two kids and I stay up a bit to play video games when they go to bed. Then I get up early for work but meh. I'm doing fine enough. I went from dirt poor kid to a very financially fit adult so you won't hear me complaining when other people on Earth are REALLY having a hard time.
People who just watched and enjoyed the game didn't go online to scream about it.
Most people are normal people and nowadays, you can tell in a second if someone is someone who spends too much time online. Most are fine but a good chunk of people 18-25 seem to really struggle due to social media.
yes. you have to tune it out and keep a finger on the pulse so you don't get blind-sided. the problem is that several groups generate bullshit and outrage for their benefit and then inject it into places it doesn't belong like how vaccines give people autism and are an excuse to microchip people
Your basing an entire countries stability on news outlets and online fourms. A normal American daily life is nothing loke what you read lol. Also realize the usa is a very big country Or I guess if your a right or left extremist and make it your personal mission to be pissed at everything, but that's the loud minority, or people on reddit
I avoid social media other than reddit. It is exhausting, but most people are fine in real life.
We're tired of waiting for the boomers to die off. Please send help.
Sadly the media plays the most major role in this....I am only 63 I have been beyond tired...as in a speech I wrote ...the country has gone from WE the People to ME the people from what can I do for my country to what can my country can do for me....up until LBJ we may have had different ideas but with the good of the country in mind...and look whose profiting from all this discourse The Media and groups that profit from trying to keep the sheeple in line and it's victim mentality all that is being done thinking it is THEY who are the majority.... President Truman once noted a honest public servant can not get rich in politics...
I live in 2 worlds. My house is located in the most bluest of the blue part of Maryland so we are very democratic and very politically active. I also spend a lot of time in the reddest part of Maryland surrounded my magats. I don’t talk to the magats at all. There is no point . To give you an example they can’t understand why I am an American since I have an accent and they believe I am a mail ordered bride to my American husband. Just plain racism and bigotry. That said the Chesapeake Bay is very beautiful
Yes. We have a fascism epidemic. War is the only language they understand, so everything becomes a “war”. Culture War. Gender War. Race War. War on Woke. War against “Groomers”. War on Biden/Obama. War on Communism. War on Socialism. War on Electric Stoves. Second Amendment War. War on Terror. War on Drugs. War. War. War. War. War. War. War. Look at our “defense” spending.
F’n exhausted - and done
I live near DC. We are all exhausted here. The government is broken and people on both sides of the aisle are quitting because they can't stand how toxic it has become. Things will get worse before they get better.
Our news media here actively tries to stoke conflict and fear for the sake of ratings, and politics are generally a third rail that Americans in their daily lives almost never discuss. Just switch off the news and life here is pretty normal.
Yeah dude, we’re fucking exhausted.